Brake beam safety support



July 12, 1932. G: JOHNSON 1,866,710

BRAKE BE'AM SAFETY SUPPORT Filed July 25. 1930 Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED STATES GEORGE A. JOHNSON, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO w. H. MINER, INCL, or

[PATENT OFFICE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE BRAKE BEAM SAFETY SUPPORT" Application filed July 25,

This invention relates to improvements in brake beam safety supports, especially for use inconnection with railway cars and locomotive tenders.

In car construction, it is the usual practice. to provide an auxiliary or safety means for supporting the usual brake beams in case they become accidentally detached, to prevent dropping of the same on the rails, whlch usually results in derailments and serious accidents. Failure of such safety devices often occurs due to the same becoming loosened and accidentally detached through the vibrations to which the parts are subject in service;

One object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient safety supporting means for brake beams, which may be readily applied and is securely held in supporting position, thereby overcoming the defects hereinbefore pointed out.

Another object of the invention is to pro-- 'vide a brake beam safety supporting means which is of .rugged construction, which has means thereon interlocking with the member to which it is secured to effectively hold the same in permanent supporting position.

' A more specific object of the invention is to provide a brake beam safety support in'the form of a bracket attached to the usual spring plank ofa railway car truck and having-a supporting arm extending-beneath thebrake beam member, wherein the bracket has hooked engagement with the corresponding upstanding flange of the spring plank, andis further provided with a" securing lug or finger having shouldered engagement with thespring plank proper to elfectively hold the bracket againstshifting lengthwise of the plank. r r

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety supporting means 'for brake beams comprising a plurality of like one piece 'supporting'brackets, which may be cheaply manufactured, by casting or forging operations, and each bracket when applied fo rms in itself a complete supporting member.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and" claims hereinafter following.

1 plurality of brackets AA, which may be" either in the form of castings or forgings and In the drawing, forming apart of this" 1920. Serial in. 470,560.-

specification, Figure 1 isa transverse, vertical, sectional view through a portion of the truck structure of a railway car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith the truck structure and associated parts be ing illustrated in dotted lines.v Figure 2 is ,a top plan view of a portion of the spring plank of the truck membeiy illustrating my improved safety supporting means attached; 8

thereto, thelatter also being shown in plan.- Figure 3 Isa vertical, sectional view corre- 11-11 the car wheels and 12the axle memberf The usual spring plank is indicated by 13 and is'accommodated in the usual openings 14 provided in the side frame structure of the truck. The ordinary spring members,

which cooper 13 is of channel form having upstanding flanges 15 15 at the opposite longitudinal? slde edges thereof. The brake beam [mem .bers are indicated by 1616 and are disposed in the usualposition at opposite sides of the spring plank member 13. As will befunderstood, the brake beams 16'have theusualbrake; 5

shoes connected thereto, notrshown, -which cooperate with the wheels 11 of the truck.

The brake beams 16 are-supported from the truck structure in the usual manner.

carrying out my invention, I provide a.

arev mounted on the spring plank 13 of the truck, at oppositesides of the latter inv pairs.

Each bracket'A comprises anelongated, hori-..

zontally disposed outstanding bar-like arm 17, an inwardlyprojecting plate-like flange or shelf 18 and an upstanding vertical platelike arm 19. The bar-like member '17 and arms 18 and =19are all formed integral. As

most clearly shown inFigures 1 and 4c, the we ate with the plank 13 and associ ated parts'in a Well known'manner, are not illustrated in the drawing. The spring plank arm or bar 17 is disposed in a plane slightly below the arm 18 and said arms 17 and 18 are reinforced by a longitudinally extending web or rib 20 on the bottom sides thereof. At the outer end, the arm 17 is bent upwardly, as indicated at 21, to provide a retaining rib orfiange. "The vertical arm 19 terminates in a hook-like portion 22 at the upper end thereof, which engages over the corresponding flange 15 of thespring plank. Y The horizontal arm 18 extends beneath'themain'body portion of the spring plank and abuts the bottom face of the same, as'clearly shown" in Figure 1, thereby holding the bracket in position when the hooked portion 22 is engaged over theifiange 15 of the springplank. At theinner end, thearm 18Fis. provided with an upstanding cylindrical boss or finger 23 "which extends through an opening 24: providediin the-horizontal web portion of the springjplank. As mostclearly shown in Figurejl, the lug 23 is of suchalength that it project's'entirely through the horizontal web 'of the'spring plank and is provided with a cotter pin receiving opening 25 at the upper end thereofthrough which a cotter pin '26 is engaged to permanently" secure the bracket Ainpo'sition. V e I "As hereinbefore mentioned, the brackets are'arranged in pairs adjacent opposite ends of the s ring plank, the spring plank being provide "with two'openings 24'through the horizontal web portion thereof at each side of the truck, thereby accommodating the'lugs V "011 two of the brackets, which are disposed at Topp'o's'ite sides of the spring plank. The arms 17-of theifbrackets' underlie the brake beam I members16, as clearly shown in'Figure 1, and

' are of'suc'h a'length that they extend .a considera'bly distancebeyond the same. By this arrangement when either. of the-brake'beams .16 .orfb'oth become accidentally detached. and "dro -ham the positionv shown ,in "Figure 1, f' th'ey'willjbe' arrested by engagement with the [corresponding arms 17 of the brackets and thus prevented from dropping onto the rails,

holding the arm 18 engaged with the bottom side of the spring plank, thereby holding the finger or lug engaged within the corresponding seat or opening of the spring plank. Further, in case the brake beam drops onto the arm 17 and is supported thereby, the weight of the brake beam will tend to force the arm 18 moretightly against the bottom of the spring plank, thereby holding the same inipositio'n- Longitudinal movement of the brackets A on the spring plank is efiectively prevented by the upstanding lugs or fingers thereon which engage within the seats provided in the bottom web of the plank.

As will be evident from the preceding description taken in connection with the drawing,-I have provided an exceedingly simple and eificientmelans for-effectively supporting the brake beams of a truck member in case of accidental detachment of the beams, which may be inexpensivelymanufactured by simple casting or forging operations. Further, each bracket which forms in itself a complete brake beam safety supporting means is effectively locked to the spring plank in such a manner that it will not be affected by vibrations of the truck structure inservice and will indefinitely be maintained in its operative supporting position.

iI have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is mere- .ly illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto. V I claim: I

1. .A one piece brake beam supportingcasting having a bar-like horizontal 'arm' adapted to. underlie the brake beam, a horizontal inwardly extending supporting flange "formedgg integral therewith and adapted to engage beneath the'spring plank of a truck member,

' thus avoiding: derailments and other acci- "dent's.

"In applying the brackets in supporting position to the truck structure, the hooked and an upstanding plate-like section integral with said armand'fiange and adapted to abut the-upstanding side flangeof the channelshaped spring plank member, said plate-like section having a hook-like upper end portion adapted to"engageover the upper'edge 'of said side-flange, said horizontal supportjend22 is first engaged over thecorrespondfingfiange 1 5 of thewsp'ring plank and'the I bracket is rocked downw'ardlyand inwardly on said hooked. endiuntil the arm 18 engages the bottom side of thespring plank. During 'thisjoperatiomthelug or'fin er 23 is engaged through "the opening or seat2t. As clearly shown-in Figure 1 ,the openings 24 are slight- "Jly elongated so as toprovide'clearance to facilitate entrance ofthe lugs insaid openings .while (the bracket 1 is being applied. After ithe brac'ket isin position, the cotter-pins are iappliedto securethesames As willbe evident, the-arm 17 of each bracketbeing relatively pron provides weighted -means for ing-flangehaving an upstanding cylindrical:

lug integral therewith and engaging in a seat on said spring plank for locking-the casting thereto. I

. beams of railwaycars-adaptedtobeattachedcz:

2. A safety supporting member forbr ake to the spring plank of the car truck, the spring plank having upstanding longitudi nal edge'flanges, said member comprising a one piece rigidbracket having a hooked portion; engaging over the upper edge of one of the flanges of the spring plank, an outwardly extending substantially horizontal arm adaptedto underlie the brake beam and an inwardly extending-arm engaging beneath the springplank, said last named arm having a lug thereon seated in an opening in the spring plank and extending through the spring plank, said 111g being of smaller crosssectional size than said openingto permit engagement of said lug therethrough While the hook is engaged with the flange of the spring plank, and a detachable securing element engaged through the outer end of said lug having shouldered engagement with the inner side of the spring plank to secure said bracket against removal.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of July 1930.

GEORGE A. JOHNSON. 

